CAMP CONFIDENTIAL: This is a make or break year for Lions coach Jim Schwartz.
A dismal 4-12 season had Detroit in all too familiar territory this spring,
mulling a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft. The Lions thought they put that kind
of thing behind them after a 2011 playoff appearance but things went off the
rails pretty quickly last year and it's imperative Schwartz turns things
around. Cleaning up the mental mistakes and all the pre-snap penalties would
go a long way in curing the woes of Detroit's talented offense, led by
quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, and All-World
receiver Calvin Johnson, the second selection in the '07 draft. Add in
defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the second pick in the 2010 draft, and this
year's No. 5 selection, DE Ezekiel Ansah, from the other side of the ball and
you see Detroit has far too much experience picking in the top 10 along with
way too much talent to be doing so again.